Abu Jakir :
In the aftermath of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s downfall on August 5, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, one of the country’s major opposition parties, has launched a vigorous campaign to rejuvenate its organization nationwide.
This initiative aims at strengthening the party’s structure from the central leadership to the grassroots level.
Following the political shift on August 5, Jamaat has resumed its regular activities, including reopening party offices in Dhaka and other parts of the country. Party insiders reveal that after 15 years of enduring significant repression, including torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings, Jamaat is now focused on freeing its detained leaders and workers while fortifying its organizational base across the country.
One of Jamaat’s strategic objectives is to unite all Islamist political parties in the country under a single banner. The party aims to contest the next general elections as a united Islamist front, with the belief that Bangladesh should be governed according to Islamic principles.
Jamaat-e-Islami is also actively seeking to regain its registration with the Election Commission, which was revoked by an executive order during the final stages of the student-people movement. The party is engaging with the interim government to lift the ban imposed on it.
In an interview, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr. Shafiqur Rahman emphasized the party’s current priorities: “Our party leaders have already committed to rejuvenating our organization across the country. After that, we will engage with all Islamist political parties to unite them, as we believe that Islamist forces should stand together and that Bangladesh should be governed based on religious principles. This is why Jamaat is striving to bring all Islamist forces under one umbrella.”
In a recent meeting with top Qawmi scholars, including members of the Hefazat-e-Islam, Jamaat leaders discussed the possibility of establishing a government based on Islamic law under Jamaat’s leadership. The meeting, held at an auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday, was attended by prominent Islamic figures such as Maulana Mufti Mohiuddin Qasemi, Mufti Khurshid Alam Qasemi, and Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi.
At the meeting, Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “From now on, we are all for each other. We will be united like a wall of lead. I apologize if I have hurt anyone in the past and hope you will forgive us.”
During the meeting, Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi, joint secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, highlighted the importance of unity: “The Jamaat Ameer has blessed everyone by bringing together the scholars of all Markaz. This unity, or a greater unity, will be of no use if we cannot unite in the battle of the ballots. Our country is a democratic country. So we have to move towards a democratic system.”
The sentiment of unity was echoed by other Islamic leaders, who called for overcoming past disagreements and presenting a united front. Mufti Azharul Islam of Hefazat expressed hope in Jamaat’s leadership, saying,